- Iwobi scores within three minutes
- Sokratis sent off after second yellow
- Bourigeaud scores terrific equalizer
- Monreal own goal puts Rennes in front
Benjamin Bourigeaud and Ismaila Sarr scored and Arsenal conceded an own goal in a soft 3-1 loss to Stade Rennes at Rhazoan Park in the first leg of the Europa League’s Round of 16 on Thursday.
Alex Iwobi scored what could be a critical away goal should Arsenal regroup for Thursday’s second leg at the Emirates Stadium.
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It started so well, with Iwobi’s mishit cross skipping off the post and into the goal following a 1-2 with Nacho Monreal in the 4th minute.
Sokratis Papastathopoulos then saw yellow for a foul on the edge of the area, a precursor to his sending off under 10 minutes later.
Hatem Ben Arfa sent Ismaila Sarr toward Sokratis, and the Greek defender took down the young Senegalese striker for his second yellow.
That’s when Rennes struck, with Bourigeaud collecting a free kick rebound off the wall and sending a beauty past Petr Cech.
Beauty may be an understatement.
Monreal turned a Mehdi Zeffane cross into his own goal to give Rennes its first lead of the afternoon.
James Lea Siliki completed the scoring with a cross that Sarr turned beyond Cech with a strong header.